


Nurses' Ball 2k18

by 573114



Category: General Hospital
Genre: Gen, Implied/Referenced Self-Harm, Mental Anguish, Short One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-24
Updated: 2018-05-24
Packaged: 2019-05-13 09:10:57
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 692
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14745977
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/573114/pseuds/573114
Summary: A look into Carly's state of mind while she is being held overnight during the Nurses' Ball, awaiting her hearing in the morning.





	Nurses' Ball 2k18

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this after viewing the episode that aired Tuesday, May 22, 2018. Events in this one-shot may end up conflicting with later episodes.

The other woman in the cell, pacing back and forth, was wearing a short leather skirt and ripped fishnet tights. Her lips were alarmingly red and hadn't spoken a single word since she had arrived a few hours ago.

Carly put her head in her hands and took a deep breath verging on a sigh. Five long strides click-clacking to her left, five long strides click-clacking to her right. The woman's stilettos were just as red as her lips.

The Nurses' Ball would be in full swing by now, and here Carly was, stuck in a badly lit room with a stranger she guessed was also here for no good reason.

Because Carly hadn't pushed Nelle. She really, really hadn't. As much as she wanted to throttle the girl, the thought of harming her unborn grandchild made her stomach feel queasy. The whole situation made her remember the keen sting of the baby she had lost years ago for the exact same reason. Falling down. Betrayed by gravity. She sat up and wrapped her arms around her middle. Remembering.

And remembering made her think of Morgan, and the mobile, and the blanket, and she dug her nails into her sides so hard it hurt. But not enough.

Hours ago Jason had held her hands and told her that he believed her even though no one else did, and that he would find proof that Nelle had made her think she was going crazy. But Jason wasn't here now.

Believing in him was easy. Herself, not so much. And without him here to reassure her, she was starting to think that maybe she had imagined everything, and that she was wasting his time. The cops hadn't found the blanket, after all. Even her own husband thought she was losing it because of her grief. She wished she could pop another pill to take the edge off, but all of her possessions had been confiscated.

Carly choked out a sob. What if she had done this terrible, awful thing, and didn't even remember it?

The woman stopped pacing. "You okay, hon?" She must have been in her early 20s, young enough to be Carly's daughter, but she sounded more like a mom.

"Do I look like I'm okay?" Carly snapped. She wiped at her eyes with the heel of her palm. "Sorry. I'm just..."

"I get it," the woman said. "You'd rather be any place but here. Me too."

"Why are you here?" Carly asked.

"Turnin' tricks, as they call it." The woman shrugged. "I have to feed my son."

Carly nodded. She understood that. Doing anything for her kids. It's why she'd never be able to forgive herself if she had--

"So why are you here?"

"I... might've done something horrible," Carly said.

"Might've?"

"I've been seeing things lately," Carly said with a small, sad smile, "and I... I was so sure that snake was behind everything, but now..."

The woman sat down beside her. "I'm Frances," she said. "And for what it's worth, just lookin' at you, I don't think you done a damn thing wrong."

"Thanks, Frances," Carly said.

"Mind if I hug you, hon?" Frances said, opening her arms. "You look like you could use a hug right about now."

Carly cried as this woman she had only just met held her and told her everything was going to end up okay. Eventually, a cop came to get Frances, whose charges had been dropped, and they wished each other well.

The night was long and sleepless, and Carly ached. She ached for Morgan and for Michael's baby and for the baby she had lost. She ached for Jason to come and tell her that he had found proof that she wasn't going insane. But now in her mind's eye she could only see her hands shoving Nelle down the staircase, over and over and over, the vicious anger bleeding into her lungs. She lay curled up for hours and saw that same waking vision rather than blissful, restful dreams.

Her chest burned, and her throat constricted. She covered her already closed eyes.

"Please," Carly whispered. "Please let Jason be right."


End file.
